We were recently contacted by a consumer looking to connect more than one device to the Bluetooth audio on their TV. In this case, the device is hearing aids but the situation is equally applicable to those who might wish to connect multiple sets of headphones to the one TV.
Currently, it’s uncommon for a TV to allow multiple devices of this type to connect. The tech solution is a TV Bluetooth Transmitter. If you have come across one of these devices,we’d love to hear about your experience - please share it in the comments below.
I am also very interested in the replies to this query: I would like to supply each child, and parent, in my son’s (blended) family with their own headphone!! So a transmitter capable of servicing a larger-than-nuclear family is what I would need to purchase…
Are you talking about pairing multiple devices, or having multiple devices connected at the same time? I know my phone has been paired with about eight different devices, so I am not sure why a TV would be limited to a single pairing. Do you know the make and model of TV?
I don’t want to give too much about myself away here, but I have a little bit of expertise with hearing aids.
I know of at least one manufacturer that offers a proprietary TV connection product that can accept multiple hearing aid listeners (as long as they are compatible aids). It could be worth talking to the hearing aid manufacturers about that, or for the individual, to talk to your hearing care provider.
I think there’s actually a limitation in the Bluetooth itself as to how many audio connections you can have at a time. For instance, the iPhone 8 can only stream to one audio source at a time, but some of the android phones and the new iPhone 11 can stream to two - but only two. I could be wrong, but that’s what I’ve heard.
Being curious as well as needy I googled for some authoritative information. I never found it from ‘the authority’ but the response to this question seems to be authoritative but still 4 years old. If anyone has better information, please add it.
Phones seem to be different and depend on your flavour.
